The Detroit Lions offense is looking to take some major steps forward under new coordinator Ben Johnson in 2022, and if they are to do that, they will need a group of players who can bring different skills to the mix.
Some wideouts will be deep threats while others will be possession receivers. Some tight ends will be blockers while others pass catch, and some running backs will be able to run and receive while others are more suited to charge ahead. Interchangeable parts make the offensive world go around, and Amon-Ra St. Brown will bring his own special blend to the mix.
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Already, the wideout looks like one of the better possession receivers in football. He’s good after the catch and he maintains some of the stickiest hands on the team, something Pro Football Focus pointed out aptly with a new stat. As the site explained, St. Brown was accurate with the hands, having just a pair of drops in 2021. He also hauled in 90 catches on 115 targets, which translates to a solid 78% of passes caught.
“Amon-Ra St. Brown receiving last season: 115 targets, 90 catches, 2 drops,” the site tweeted.
Numbers like this will get lost in the shuffle when compared with yards and touchdowns, but they prove how efficient St. Brown can be on the field. In order to score and rack up the yards you first have to catch the ball and especially not drop it. Consider St. Brown a virtual lock to do both of those things if and when the ball is thrown his way.
St. Brown Likes Lions’ 2022 Offense
Looking ahead to next season, St. Brown should have the chance to play a starring role right away for the Lions unlike in 2021 when he was learning the ropes. As a whole, he believes the offense has taken some major steps forward and has some fantastic weaponry, something he told the media when speaking with them on May 11, 2022.
“I was thinking about that the other day, St. Brown said. “We really have a pretty good offense going from the line, we have a solid offensive line, we have great tight ends that can catch the ball, that can block. Our running backs are all very solid, they can all do different things. Added some receivers. I mean, I think we’re a complete offense now if you ask me, so I’m excited to see what we can do.”
In terms of his own fit within the offense and his own potential to put up stats in 2022, St. Brown isn’t worried about whether he has a repeat performance or not on the field so long as the team is winning games.
“For me, it’s just whenever I get that opportunity, just make the most of it whether that’s 5 targets a game, whether that’s 2, whether that’s 12. Each game is different, each scenario is different,” he explained. “Obviously, the goal of football is to win games and win a Super Bowl. If we’re winning games I’m happy. I’m not complaining. So, it’s just going out there doing my part and whenever I do get that opportunity, that chance to help the team win, make the most that I can.”
Selfless and confident, it’s easy to see that St. Brown believes he can reprise his role on a much better offense. If he doesn’t, that’s alright as long as the team is seeing more wins pile up.
St. Brown Showed Late-Season Swagger for Lions
Down the stretch of the season, St. Brown only seemed to gain in confidence from where he was earlier in the year, and his emergence from an unknown rookie to one of the better wideouts in the league has been a sight to see for the Lions and their fans.
St. Brown looked like a major weapon most of the second half of the season for the Lions catching and running with the ball. He took on the look of a player who may will his team to bigger and better things thanks to the plays he was able to deliver.
St. Brown was on fire for the Lions down the stretch, and the fact he finished with 912 receiving yard and 5 touchdowns will simply springboard him moving forward into 2022. The Lions have seen St. Brown come into his own with big plays, and he has looked like a future dynamo in waiting for the team’s offense.
His accurate hands might be the biggest reason he takes multiple steps forward this coming season.
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Amon-Ra St. Brown’s Sure-Hands Stat Huge for Lions’ 2022 Offense